Research

Tensile Strength of Thermoplastic Elastomers

The purpose of our experiment was to determine the fracture toughness of various types of thermoplastic elastomers. To determine this, we used three types of thermoplastic elastomers, each with varying chemical composition, and tested each of 28 samples for fracture toughness, maximum load capacity, and load at break. An Instron at the Ford Scientific Research Laboratories was used to determine this. The Instron would collect data by slowly stretching the material until it broke. Each individual sample of elastomer was placed in the Instron, and was pulled apart at 100 mm/min. The data that was collected showed that the DYM 500 was more durable, stretched for a longer period of time, and held more energy than the DYM 100. In fact, the DYM 500 was nearly three times as effective as the DYM 100. These statistics can help to conclude that the DYM 500 would be a better choice for real world applications such as automotive interiors, due to its ability to withstand more stress than other thermoplastic elastomers.